Romani community member Cyril Koky will run for Czech Senate as a Pirate in the Kolín precinct

In the upcoming elections to the Senate in the Czech Republic the Pirate Party's candidate in the Kolín precinct will be Romani community member Cyril Koky, who was unanimously chosen by the membership base through their Internet forum. "I would like to thank the local organization of the Pirate Party in Kolín and the Central Bohemian organization for nominating me and supporting my candidacy," Koky told news server Romea.cz, adding that he highly appreciates the support.

Koky has worked since 2003 as a specialist officer in the area of national minorities at the Central Bohemian Regional Authority. That job description is above all about the issue of Romani minority integration.

The candidate has also been a member of advisory bodies at the regional and Government level. If elected, he said he would like to take advantage of his many years of experience in the area of the state administration, social issues, defense and security.

"The area that touches me painfully is the issue of social exclusion and the development of impoverished regions. The situation in those areas needs to be resolved," Koky said of his plans in the Senate, adding that he will actively contribute to advocating for proposals that lead to improving the situation.

He also plans to aid small communities with their development. "I accept this candidacy for the Senate from the Kolín precinct with humility and with the maximum determination to achieve the best result in that precinct," Koky said.

A senatorial term lasts six years. Senate elections happen every two years, during which one-third of the Senate is up for grabs.

The elections in the Kolín precinct will take place in the autumn of 2020, but the exact date is not yet known because the President of the Republic must declare it. The current Senator for that precinct is Emílie Třísková of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD).